GULFPORT MISSISSIPPI TO NEW ORLEANS

New Orleans, LA
Temperature: 72 degrees

We leave Gulfport heading west toward New Orleans.  I have been to NOLA but John has not.  John is looking forward to the experience.  John is a huge jazz fan.  He will fit right in.  

We are driving on Interstate 10 therefore there are no beaches to see as there were in Gulfport.  It is just time to veg out and watch the miles slip behind us.  Now, this is a relaxing drive.  

We arrive in New Orleans in time to settle in, have dinner of beans and cheese quesedilla and a salad.  Yes, I know, vegans do not eat cheese.  We have lost our vegan member ship and eating vegetarian some of the time and vegan when it suits us. 

I am awake and it is seven thirty.  I know it will be a while before John is up, so I just sit in the sun coming through the windshield and chill.  

After breakfast we head into the city of New Orleans.  Our destination: the French Quarter.  I know what to expect, John has no idea what is in store for him. The sights, the smells, the people.  

We park the car at a public parking lot.  Six dollars for the first hour, ten dollars for two hours.  My, that's a bit pricey.  Oh well, this is John's treat.  

As we walk closer to the French Quarter, we hear lovely music. A violinist and a guitar player.  The music is nothing I have heard on any street, anywhere.  Neat.  

Some stop to listen to the music.  Others hurry by as if there is no one performing.  I guess they are locals and have become immune to the lovely sounds.  

We turn left down one street and I am thinking, "great! we are missing the crowds."  Ha!  that does not last but a block. 

The sidewalks are narrow and filling.  Lines are forming at the best restaurants, mimes are doing their thing.  We continue to explore.  

I give a huge sigh of relief when I learn that the parades do not start until next weekend. Phew!  

There are a total of sixty-three parades in several locations. Four parades are in the French Quarter.  Others are located on the West Bank, Slidel, Uptown, Metairie, Mid City, Covington, Chalmette, Madisonville, and Marigny.  This is one big party town.  

The parades are not this weekend, but the bright gold, purple, and green decorations are on balconies that we pass.  Each color has a significance.  Purple represents  justice, Green represents faith,  and Gold represents power.  

If you would like to read more about Mardi Gras, here is the link to their website. 

It is really getting warm!  Should I say that I am actually hot??? Yep, I am hot!  Not complaining, mind you.  Just saying. 

The colors if the French Quarter are a party for the eyes.  Many buildings show their age with layer upon layer of brightly colored paint.  Many of these buildings date back to the seventeen hundreds.  If I dated back to the seventeen hundreds, I'd need a ton of paint too! 

John just has to walk on Bourbon Street.  All I know was that Bourbon Street is the most fowl smelling street we walk. 

The odors are terrible and the music coming from the businesses is at a decibel  higher than I am comfortable with.  We cannot even hear each other talk!

On another street I see a sign in a candy / praline store window that says they have classes.  Now, that is my cup of sugar!   I would love to take a New Orleans candy making class.  

Ahhh, there is a person handing out samples and of course I made sure that I do not disappoint her and accept a praline sample. Oh, my gosh, this is delightful!  Would I be a pig if I turned around and begged for another?  Probably.



A little later, I spy a gumbo shop.  Too bad we had a huge breakfast and there is no room for gumbo.  


Now we come to Jackson Square. Artwork, I love artwork.  All artwork. Any artwork, I love it all.  There is artwork all around the square.  

Something is wrong here... all around...the square.  Yep something is wrong.  

Many of the artists paint in their areas. This kind gentleman allows me to take a photo of him.  

Man, I am getting tired and really hot! How can I whine coming from Alabama that had an ice storm a few short days ago.  I do not know, but I can do it, just fine.  Just ask John.  

We head back to the car after two delightful hours of walking. Did we see everything?  Not on your life.  Will we return to New Orleans and the French Quarter?  New Orleans, yes.  The French Quarter? Not in this lifetime.  I want the open spaces, nature, birds, animals, trails to hike.  Oops, John says he wants to return.  

The French Quarter is for the young.  Being retired makes me not young.  Does it make me old?  Probably in the books, but I don't feel old.  I just have different interests now.

We come home and I begin to think about dinner.  I have saved a recipe Quinoa and Black Bean Enchilada Bake on Pinterest and I want to try it. So I did.

Doesn't this look delish?  Well, it is. It is a keeper for sure.   

                                 http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/black-bean-and-quinoa-enchilada-bake

In my last post I had a photo of Emerson (Emi).  I called her Harper.  

This, my friends is Harper....singing to a song on the radio as Adam is driving and Megan snaps a photo.  I think we have a diva on our hands, don't you?

Thanks so much for stopping by.  Have a great week.  And of course................

God bless y'all!  

GOOD TIMES IN GULF SHORES AND FOLEY, ALABAMA

Having a Friday reservation at an Escapees park, Rainbow Plantation and we take our time getting there.  Of course we have forgotten a that it is really, really dark once the sun goes down and being unfamiliar with the park, site fourteen just might be a wee bit hard to find.  

After a relaxing dinner at Cracker Barrel, we head for the "Plantation" to find that the street signage is hard to find.  We drive around the entire park once and finally find our street.  It is the first street after we turn off the main road.  What a couple of goofs.

Saturday, we head down the road to Gulf Shores for a nice time at the beach.  I scout for sea glass.  Not finding any, I switch to shell hunting.  I try to find the smallest possible shells. I want to make shell covered initials of the first names of the grands.  

Monday, we do some grocery shopping and drive around the area finding places that I enjoyed as a youngster.  

Tuesday, we travel to Fairhope, AL to visit Tom Jones, a potter, in his studio.  

He is busy making Mardi Gras pottery as it is selling faster than he can produce it.  

Tom has two four footed helpers at his studio.  Only one problem, the Greyhound is one sleepy pooch.  

He is a rescue, direct from the track in Mobile.  He ran thirty races, placed in twenty and the last ten,  he kept seeing squirrels and chased them instead! lol.  





Tom's studio is in an old brick factory where they used clay from the grounds around the site.


Now, some of the clay Tom uses is from right there on the grounds.   

This flower pot mold was left behind and Tom is keeping it in the studio.

The mold that is on the machine is for a ten inch pot.  The molds are as small as two inches. 

What a treasure!                                                                                               

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        This is where the clay was stirred and kneaded.


Do you see the clay rattlesnake at the foot of the mixing vat?  

Here are the blades with dried lumps of old clay that was left behind.  

Here are some of his displays.  Can you guess what we purchased?  

                                                    

                           

The quirky signs displayed throughout his studio give you  an idea as to Tom's personality. 

We almost purchased something from this display.  But we found something we liked better. 

I bet you cannot find what we purchased.   

Something to think about!
















OH! Mardi Gras beads!








How about a Christmas Tree?  

A bit too heavy for our coach.  Had to pass on this one.  

 Loved this Iris pattern.  Did I get this?  




Or maybe something from this display?  

It is a difficult choice when purchasing pottery.  In our case, we need to purchased for function, colors to accent our decor and be mindful of the weight.  

Emerson (Emi) is now one month old! Megan took these photos.                                             This little one has her Nana's lips.  I can prove she is mine!  













I think she is singing Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me...............

As for the rest of the week, we shopped, walked and walked, cleaned the motorhome and rested.  

After reading some negative reviews of I - 10, we took U.S. 90 from Foley/Gulf Shores to our location here in Gulfport Mississippi.  

Thanks so much for joining us on this trip.  Warmer days ahead are promised.  

God bless you all.